JP2020083500A - Feeding device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a user-friendly feeding device capable of facilitating maintenance such as cleaning.SOLUTION: In a feeding device 1, a conveying pipe 50 is substantially cylindrical extending along a conveying direction of particulate matters; a screw 60 is arranged along a central shaft of the conveying pipe 50; a gear box 30 is connected to the screw 60 to feed torque to the screw 60; a casing 40 is interposed between the conveying pipe 50 and the gear box 30 to store a part of the screw 60 and is opened at a lower side to feed the particulate matters stored therein to the screw 60; a base part 10 supports the gear box 30 from a lower part; the conveying pipe 50 and the casing 40 are separable from the gear box 30 and the screw 60 along the conveying direction; and an opening part is disposed above the base part 10.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

The present invention relates to a feeding device for feeding a powder or granular material to a subsequent device. More specifically, the present invention relates to a so-called screw feeder that conveys powder particles in the conveying direction by rotating a screw.

Conventionally, there is known a supply device for supplying a powder or granular material (powder and/or granular material; hereinafter simply referred to as “powder or granular material”) as a material to a subsequent device. This type of supply device is disclosed in, for example, Patent Document 1.

The wet powder feeder (feeding device) of Patent Document 1 includes an outer cylinder, a charging port, a screw, a slide base having a screw fixing portion that fixes one end of the screw shaft, and a direction along the screw shaft. And a slide rail for sliding the slide base. The charging port is provided in the outer cylinder and charges the dehydrated powder into the wet powder feeder. The screw is provided inside the outer cylinder and conveys the powder charged from the charging port to the subsequent dryer. The screw fixing portion fixes one end of the screw shaft. The slide rail slides the slide base in a direction along the axis of the screw.

In the wet powder feeder of Patent Document 1, cleaning is performed by sliding the slide base in the direction along the rotation axis of the screw so that the screw protrudes from one end of the outer cylinder and in the one end direction side where the screw is fixed. It is said that the disassembly of the device at the time of carrying out is easy (FIG. 2 of Patent Document 1).

JP, 2014-119192, A

However, in the wet powder supply device described in Patent Document 1, when the screw is pushed out from one end of the outer cylinder for cleaning or the like, the outer cylinder remains fixedly arranged on the floor surface of the factory or the like. Therefore, it is considered difficult to remove the powder remaining in the outer cylinder. In addition, the powder or granular material remaining on the screw surface immediately before cleaning may be scattered outside the outer cylinder when the screw is pushed out from one end of the outer cylinder. It took a lot of work and there was room for improvement.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a user-friendly supply device capable of easily performing maintenance such as cleaning.

In order to solve the above problems, the first invention of the present application is a supply device for supplying a powdery or granular material to a subsequent device, the supply device including a transport pipe, a screw, a drive unit, a casing, and a base unit. Provide the device. The carrier tube has a substantially cylindrical shape that extends along the direction in which the powder or granules are transported. The screw is arranged along the central axis of the carrier pipe. The driving unit is coupled to the screw and supplies torque to the screw. The casing is interposed between the carrier pipe and the drive unit, accommodates a part of the screw, is opened on the lower side, and supplies the powder or granular material accommodated therein to the screw. The base portion supports the drive portion and the casing from below. In this supply device, the transport pipe and the casing can be separated from the drive unit and the screw along the transport direction. An opening is provided on the upper portion of the base.

In a second invention of the present application, in the supply device according to the first invention, a drawer unit that can be pulled out is provided below the opening of the base.

According to a third invention of the present application, in the supply device according to the first invention or the second invention, the drive section is fixedly provided to the base section.

In a fourth invention of the present application, in the supply device according to any one of the first invention to the third invention, the casing is attached to the drive unit by a detachable member that can be attached and detached with one touch. Be combined.

According to a fifth invention of the present application, in the supply device according to any one of the first invention to the fourth invention, a drive unit side mating surface of the drive unit that faces the casing, and a drive unit side of the casing that faces the drive unit. A positioning portion extending in the carrying direction is provided on either one of the casing side mating surfaces. Further, a fitting portion corresponding to the positioning portion is provided on the other of the drive portion side mating surface and the casing side mating surface.

In a sixth invention of the present application, in the supply device according to any one of the first invention to the fifth invention, the opening is opened on the downstream side in the transport direction.

In a seventh invention of the present application, in the supply device according to any one of the first invention to the sixth invention, the supply device is attached to a stirring power shaft extending from the drive unit to a downstream side in the transport direction and is housed in the casing. Further provided is a stirring member. The stirring member is attachable to and detachable from the stirring power shaft.

In an eighth invention of the present application, in the supply device according to any one of the first invention to the seventh invention, the power of the screw is arranged radially inward of an end of the transport pipe on the downstream side in the transport direction. A discharge vane is provided that is driven about an axis and has a plurality of surfaces inclined with respect to a plane perpendicular to the power axis of the screw.

In a ninth invention of the present application, the supply device according to any one of the first invention to the eighth invention further includes a weighing unit that weighs the weight of the powder or granular material discharged from the supply device.

In a tenth invention of the present application, in the supply device according to the first invention, the casing side mating surface is provided with a through hole that allows the screw to pass in the transport direction.

According to an eleventh invention of the present application, in the supply device according to the tenth invention, a seal member is provided on the drive-side mating surface or the casing-side mating surface along the entire circumference radially outward of the through hole.

According to the first to eleventh inventions of the present application, there is provided a user-friendly supply device capable of easily performing maintenance such as cleaning.

Particularly, according to the first invention of the present application, the operator can easily access the screw and perform maintenance by integrally moving the conveying pipe and the casing away from the driving unit and the screw in the conveying direction. Further, by setting a container or the like having an open upper part below the opening of the base part, the powder or granules remaining on the screw surface or the like immediately before maintenance will be scattered out of the supply device. It is possible to reduce the risk. As a result, a user-friendly supply device capable of easily performing maintenance such as cleaning is realized.

In particular, according to the second invention of the present application, the powder or granules remaining on the screw surface or the like immediately before the maintenance falls into the drawer part. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the time and effort required for cleaning because the powdery particles are scattered to the outside of the supply device.

In particular, according to the third invention of the present application, since the drive unit is immovable with respect to the base unit, the operation of moving the transport pipe and the casing away from the drive unit along the transport direction becomes easy.

In particular, according to the fourth invention of the present application, the operation of separating the transport pipe and the casing from the drive unit and the screw as one body becomes easier. Therefore, maintenance can be performed more easily.

In particular, according to the fifth invention of the present application, when the carrier pipe and the casing are moved away from the drive unit for maintenance or the like, and are then assembled to the casing again, the center axis of the carrier pipe and the power shaft of the screw are aligned. It is possible to reduce the risk that a shift will occur. As a result, it is possible to continue operating the supply device with high accuracy even after repeated maintenance.

In particular, according to the sixth invention of the present application, the powder or granules remaining on the screw surface or the like immediately before maintenance are accumulated on the upper surface of the base portion (in particular, the edge portion of the opening) and remain in the supply device. It is possible to suppress the possibility of the occurrence of the risk of being reduced. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the possibility that powdery or granular material residue is generated during maintenance such as cleaning.

In particular, according to the seventh invention of the present application, when performing maintenance such as cleaning, by removing the stirring member from the stirring power shaft as a pretreatment, the conveying pipe and the casing are integrated, and the driving portion and the screw are moved in the conveying direction. It becomes easy to move it away. As a result, maintenance such as cleaning can be performed more easily.

Particularly, according to the eighth invention of the present application, resistance is imparted to the powder or granular material conveyed by the rotation of the screw by the discharge blade, and the bulk of the powder or granular material in the vicinity of the downstream end portion in the conveying pipe is increased. The density is made uniform. Moreover, the powder particles are dispersed and cut out while preventing the powder particles from accidentally spilling by the discharge blade, so that the powder particles are discharged to the outside of the supply device while suppressing the pulsation.

Particularly, according to the ninth invention of the present application, it is possible to quantitatively supply the granular material to the subsequent device.

In particular, according to the eleventh invention of the present application, it is possible to prevent the powder or granular material from spilling down into the drive unit from the joint between the screw and the drive unit.

It is a side view which shows the structure of the supply apparatus which concerns on this embodiment. It is a partial cross section figure which shows the internal structure of the supply apparatus which concerns on this embodiment. It is a side view which shows a mode when a hopper and a stirring member are removed from the supply apparatus which concerns on this embodiment. FIG. 6 is a side view showing a state in which the casing and the transport pipe are integrated and are separated from the drive unit and the screw. It is a figure which shows the structure of a drive part, and has shown the side view and rear view. It is a top view of a base part. The two-dot chain line in the figure shows the state of the drawer part that is pulled out to the downstream side in the transport direction.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

<1. This embodiment>
<1-1. Schematic configuration of supply device>
First, the configuration of the supply device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6. FIG. 1 is a side view of the supply device 1 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the supply device 1. The supply device 1 is a so-called screw feeder that supplies rotation of a screw 60 to supply a powder or granular material to a subsequent device. In the following description, the front-rear direction is defined with the side on which the power source 20 of the supply device 1 is arranged as the front side and the side on which the transfer pipe 50 is arranged as the rear side. The vertical direction is defined as the vertical direction. Furthermore, the direction perpendicular to the front-back direction and the vertical direction is defined as the left-right direction.

Examples of the powder or granular material handled in the supply device 1 include fine ceramics, metal materials, polymer materials, batteries/electronic materials, composite materials, pharmaceutical materials, food materials, and technologies such as electronics, energy, medical care, foods, and the like. Inorganic and organic fine powders used in the field may be mentioned. However, the powder or granular material handled in the supply device 1 may be a mixture of plural types of powder and/or granular material, or may be a semi-solid material containing water. The particle size distribution of the powder or granular material is, for example, about 0.1 μm to several tens of μm, but is not limited to this.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the supply device 1 according to the present embodiment includes a base portion 10, a power source 20, a gear box 30, a casing 40, a conveying pipe 50, a screw 60, a stirring member 70, a hopper 80, and a weighing portion. 90, and a control unit (not shown).

The base portion 10 is disposed below the supply device 1 and supports a gear box 30 described below from below. The base portion 10 is formed by bending a plate material and has at least an upper surface portion 10a and a pair of left and right side surface portions 10b. The inside of the base portion 10 is hollow.

The power source 20 generates a torque to be supplied to the screw 60 and the stirring member 70 described later. The power source 20 of this embodiment has one motor. The power source 20 is supported from below by the base portion 10 via a gear box 30 described later. The combination of the power source 20 and the gear box 30 corresponds to the "drive unit" in this embodiment.

The gear box 30 accommodates a plurality of gears for transmitting the torque output from the power source 20 to the screw 60 and the stirring member 70. The gear box 30 has a box shape having a front end surface 30a, a pair of left and right side surfaces 30b, a rear end surface 30c, and an upper end surface 30d (see FIG. 4). As shown in FIG. 2, the first shaft 31 is bridged in the front-rear direction on the lower portion of the gear box 30. The front end of the first shaft 31 is coupled to the output shaft 20a of the motor of the power source 20. The rear end portion of the first shaft 31 projects rearward from the rear end surface 30c.

As shown in FIG. 2, a second shaft (stirring power shaft) 32 is bridged in the front-rear direction above the gear box 30. The front end portion of the second shaft 32 is rotatably supported by the front end surface 30a. The rear end portion of the second shaft 32 projects rearward from the rear end surface 30c. A first gear 33 is coaxially fixed to the first shaft 31. A second gear 34 is coaxially fixed to the second shaft 32. The first gear 33 and the second gear 34 mesh with each other. With this configuration, the first shaft 31 and the second shaft 32 are rotated at a constant speed ratio by receiving power from the power source 20.

The casing 40 is a housing that houses a part of the screw 60 and the stirring member 70. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the casing 40 has a front end face 40a, a pair of left and right side faces 40b, and a rear end face 40c. The upper side of the casing 40 is open in a rectangular shape. The front end surface 40a is provided with a first through hole 40e into which the rear end portion of the first shaft 31 can be inserted and a second through hole 40f into which the rear end portion of the second shaft 32 can be inserted. The first through hole 40e and the second through hole 40f respectively penetrate the front end face 40a in the front-rear direction. The first through hole 40e and the second through hole 40f are arranged at intervals in the vertical direction.

The rear end surface 40c of the casing 40 is provided with a third through hole 40g to which a front end portion of the transport pipe 50 described later is connected. The third through hole 40g penetrates the rear end face 40c in the front-rear direction.

The carrier pipe 50 has a cylindrical shape. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the carrier pipe 50 accommodates a part of the screw 60 radially inward. The front end of the carrier pipe 50 is connected to the inner edge of the third through hole 40g by welding or the like. As a result, the casing 40 and the carrier pipe 50 are integrated. However, the casing 40 and the transfer pipe 50 may have a removable structure, and for example, a method of fixing the root portion of the transfer pipe 50 to the casing 40 by clamping or the like may be used.

The screw 60 is a member for carrying the powder or granular material contained in the casing 40 to the downstream side in the carrying direction. The screw 60 of the present embodiment includes a screw shaft 61 that extends substantially horizontally along the transport direction (in the present embodiment, the front-rear direction), a flight 62 that projects outward from the outer peripheral surface of the screw shaft 61, and a screw shaft. And a discharge blade 63 provided at an end portion on the downstream side of 61 in the transport direction. The flight 62 spirally surrounds the outer peripheral surface of the screw shaft 61. In this embodiment, the screw shaft 61 and the flight 62 are composed of a single member.

The screw shaft 61 and the flight 62 are arranged both inside the transport pipe 50 and inside the casing 40. Further, the upstream end (front end) of the screw shaft 61 in the transport direction is fastened to the rear end of the first shaft 31. As a result, when torque is generated in the power source 20, the first shaft 31 rotates and the screw 60 rotates about the shaft center (power shaft) of the screw shaft 61.

The discharge blade 63 is arranged radially inward of the downstream end of the transport tube 50 in the transport direction. The discharge blades 63 are driven around the power shaft of the screw 60 as the rotation center of the screw shaft 61. The discharge blade 63 has a plurality of surfaces inclined with respect to a plane perpendicular to the power axis of the screw 60. The screw 60 has a portion where the flight 62 is not formed between the flight 62 and the discharge blade 63. That is, the inner space of the carrier pipe 50 includes a first space 51 in which the flight 62 is arranged and a second space 52 which is located downstream of the first space 51 in the carrier direction and in which the flight 62 is not arranged. There is.

The stirring member 70 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 is a member for stirring the powder or granular material stored inside the casing 40. The stirring member 70 is housed inside the casing 40. The stirring member 70 of this embodiment includes a shaft portion 71 and a plurality of stirring blades 72. The shaft portion 71 has a cylindrical shape extending in the horizontal direction. A plurality of stirring blades 72 are provided radially outward of the shaft portion 71 at equal intervals along the circumferential direction. The stirring blade 72 is fixed to the shaft portion 71 via an arm portion 73 extending in the radial direction. The stirring member 70 is coupled to the second shaft 32 by fastening the shaft portion 71 to the rear end portion of the second shaft 32. As a result, when torque is generated in the power source 20, the stirring blade 72 rotates around the shaft portion 71 via the first shaft 31, the first gear 33, the second gear 34, and the second shaft 32. ..

The hopper 80 is a member for receiving the powder or granules input from above. The hopper 80 has a funnel-shaped side wall 81 in which the horizontal cross section of the hopper 80 contracts downward. At the upper end of the hopper 80, a material inlet 82 that opens upward is provided. A material feed port 83 that opens toward the inside of the casing 40 is provided at the lower end of the hopper 80. The material feed port 83 is connected to the opening on the upper side of the casing 40. The opening area of the material feeding port 83 is smaller than the opening area of the material feeding port 82. However, the shape of the hopper 80 is not limited to this, and may be a rectangular parallelepiped shape, a cylindrical shape, or a conical shape. The area of the material feeding port 82 may be smaller than the area of the material feeding port 83. Further, the hopper 80 may be provided with an air bleeding filter or the like when the material is charged.

As shown in FIG. 1, the hopper 80 and the casing 40 are coupled to each other by a detachable member 84 that can be attached and detached with one touch. The attachment/detachment members 84 of the present embodiment are mounted on the outside of the side surface 40b of the casing 40 in a left-right pair. However, the method of connecting the hopper 80 and the casing 40 is not limited to this, and they may be connected by another method such as screwing.

The weighing unit 90 shown in FIG. 1 is composed of a load sensor such as a load cell. The weighing unit 90 of the present embodiment is provided below the base unit 10. The weighing unit 90 regularly or irregularly calculates the total weight of the base unit 10, the hopper 80, the casing 40, the stirring member 70, the transport pipe 50, the screw 60, and the powdery particles stored inside the supply device 1. Weigh (sampling). Then, the weighing signal indicating the weighing result is transmitted to the control unit. The weighing unit 90 may be a system built in the base unit 10. In this case, for example, the lower surface side of the upper surface portion 10a is supported by the weighing unit 90 and the upper portion thereof is floated. A method of measuring the load other than the base portion 10 received by the upper surface portion 10a may be used. Other than this, the weighing unit 90 may be provided at another position as long as it can detect a change in the weight of the powder or granular material.

The control unit is electrically connected to the power source 20 and the measuring unit 90 described above. The control unit may be configured by a computer having an arithmetic processing unit such as a CPU and a memory, or may be configured by an electronic circuit board. The control unit detects, based on the weighing signal received from the weighing unit 90, the decrease amount of the powder or granular material stored in the supply device 1 (that is, the supply amount of the powder or granular material to the subsequent device). In addition, the control unit drives and controls the power source 20 so that the reduction amount becomes substantially constant.

In the supply device 1 having the above-described configuration, the powder or granules charged into the casing 40 from the hopper 80 are stirred by the rotation of the stirring member 70. As a result, the powder or granular material is supplied to the screw 60 according to its own weight while suppressing partial aggregation (bridge or the like) of the powder or granular material. At this time, the particles of the granular material are filled in the gaps of the flight 62 of the screw 60. When the screw 60 rotates, the particles of the powdery or granular material are pushed by the spiral flight 62 and are transported into the transport tube 50. Further, also inside the transfer tube 50, the powder 62 is transferred from the first space 51 to the second space 52 by the flight 62 rotating.

At this time, in the second space 52 inside the transport tube 50, the discharge blade 63 acts as a resistance, and the powdery particles are compressed. As a result, the bulk density of the powder or granular material in the second space 52 is made uniform. Further, the powder or granular material compressed in the second space 52 is scraped off by the rotating discharge vanes 63 and discharged from the end of the transfer pipe 50 on the downstream side in the transfer direction. As a result, the powder or granular material is continuously supplied from the end of the transfer pipe 50 on the downstream side in the transfer direction to the subsequent device in a substantially constant amount.

The supply device 1 having such a configuration uses the common supply device 1 to quantitatively supply the various types of powder and granular materials to the subsequent devices to produce the multi-product mixed type granular material. It is suitable to use. However, in that case, it is necessary to clean the inside of the supply device 1 in order to prevent contamination every time the product type to be supplied to the subsequent device is switched. In such an aspect, conventionally, the screw is pulled out from the conveying pipe so as to be disassembled, and the screw surface is cleaned. However, with the conventional cleaning method, it is difficult to remove the powder remaining in the carrier pipe, or the powder particles remaining on the screw surface immediately before cleaning are scattered around. There was room for improvement in terms of relaxation.

In this respect, the supply device 1 of the present embodiment has a unique configuration for facilitating maintenance such as cleaning inside the supply device 1. Below, these peculiar constitutions are explained in detail.

<1-2. Attachment/detachment structure for the casing drive part>
The casing 40 of the present embodiment is connected to the gear box 30 by detachable members 45 and 46 that can be attached and detached with one touch. The attaching/detaching members 45 of the present embodiment are mounted on the outside of the side surface 40b of the casing 40 in a pair of left and right. The attachment/detachment member 45 includes a loop portion that can be rotated in the left-right direction. Outside the side surface 30b of the gear box 30, a pair of left and right first engaging portions capable of engaging with the loop portion is provided.

The attachment/detachment member 46 of the present embodiment is mounted outside the upper end surface 30d of the gear box 30. The attachment/detachment member 46 includes a loop portion that can be rotated in the vertical direction. The front end surface 40a of the casing 40 is provided with a second engaging portion capable of engaging the loop portion.

The casing 40 can be easily attached to and detached from the gear box 30 by the operation of engaging and releasing the loop portion and the first engaging portion, and the loop portion and the second engaging portion. As a result, the operation of separating the transport pipe 50 and the casing 40 as one body from the gear box 30 in the transport direction becomes easy.

<1-3. Structure of mating surface between casing and drive part>
In the present embodiment, the rear end surface 30c of the gear box 30 corresponds to the "driving portion side mating surface". Further, the front end surface 40a of the casing 40 of the present embodiment corresponds to the "casing side mating surface". The rear end surface 30c of the gear box 30 and the front end surface 40a of the casing 40 are arranged so as to be aligned in the front-rear direction.

<1-3-1. Structure of mating surface on drive side>
Outside the rear end of the first shaft 31 and the rear end of the second shaft 32, a first seal groove 37, a second seal groove 38, and a first seal are provided outside the rear end surface 30c of the gear box 30. The member 35, the second seal member 36, and the two positioning pins (positioning portions) 39 are located. FIG. 5 shows a state of the rear end surface 30c of the gear box 30.

The first seal groove 37 is a groove portion that is recessed from the rear end surface 30c of the gear box 30 toward the front side. The first seal groove 37 is provided radially outward of the first shaft 31 in an annular shape so as to surround the entire circumference of the first shaft 31. The cross section of the first seal groove 37 is semicircular. The outer diameter of the first seal groove 37 is larger than the outer diameter of the first through hole 40e. The first seal member 35 is an annular member made of a highly airtight material such as rubber. The first seal member 35 has a circular cross section. The first seal member 35 is fitted into the first seal groove 37.

The second seal groove 38 is a groove portion that is recessed from the rear end surface 30c of the gear box 30 toward the front side. The second seal groove 38 is provided annularly outside the second shaft 32 in the radial direction so as to surround the entire circumference of the second shaft 32. The second seal groove 38 has a semicircular cross section. The outer diameter of the second seal groove 38 is larger than the outer diameter of the second through hole 40f. The second seal member 36 is an annular member made of a highly airtight material such as rubber. The second seal member 36 has a circular cross section. The second seal member 36 is fitted in the second seal groove 38.

The positioning pin 39 has a cylindrical shape that extends rearward from the rear end surface 30c of the gear box 30. Both of the two positioning pins 39 are located radially outward of the first seal groove 37.

<1-3-2. Casing side mating surface structure>
Outside the front end surface 40a of the casing 40, holes (not shown) that are fitting portions corresponding to the above-described two positioning pins 39 are provided. When the rear end surface 30c of the gear box 30 and the front end surface 40a of the casing 40 are aligned in the front-rear direction, a positioning pin 39 is inserted into the hole.

In the supply device 1 having such a configuration, when the casing 40 is attached to the gear box 30, the operator places the casing 40 on the gear box 30 by aligning the position of the positioning pin 39 with the hole. It can be easily positioned and attached to the device.

<1-4. Structure of first shaft and screw fastening part>
A male screw is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the rear end of the first shaft 31. Further, the front end portion of the screw shaft 61 of the screw 60 has a cylindrical shape, and a female screw corresponding to the male screw is formed on the inner peripheral surface. Therefore, by screwing the rear end portion of the first shaft 31 into the front end portion of the screw 60, the screw 60 can be easily attached to the first shaft 31, and the removal operation can be similarly easily performed.

<1-5. Structure of fastening part between second shaft and stirring member>
A male screw is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the rear end portion of the second shaft 32. Further, the shaft portion 71 of the stirring member 70 has a cylindrical shape, and a female screw corresponding to the male screw is formed on the inner peripheral surface. Therefore, by screwing the rear end portion of the second shaft 32 into the front end portion of the shaft portion 71, the stirring member 70 can be easily attached to the second shaft 32, and the removing operation can be similarly easily performed.

In the supply device 1 having the above-described configuration, when the inside of the supply device 1 is cleaned when switching the type to be supplied to the subsequent device, the supply device 1 is disassembled in the following procedure. That is, first, as shown in FIG. 3, the hopper 80 is removed from the casing 40. Subsequently, the operator accesses the inside of the casing 40 from above and rotates the stirring member 70 in the circumferential direction with respect to the second shaft 32, so that the stirring member 70 is taken out of the casing 40. Then, the operator operates the attachment/detachment members 45 and 46 so that the front end surface 40a of the casing 40 can be separated from the rear end surface 30c of the gear box 30. Note that FIG. 3 shows a state in which the hopper 80 and the stirring member 70 are removed from the supply device 1.

Here, the inner diameter of the first through hole 40e of the casing 40 is configured to be larger than the outer diameter of the screw 60. Therefore, when the casing 40 and the transport pipe 50 are moved rearward in parallel to the front-rear direction, the screw 60 will pass through the first through hole 40e (see FIG. 4). In other words, the casing 40 and the transport pipe 50 are pulled out rearward from the screw 60. As a result, the casing 40 and the transfer pipe 50 can be separated from the gear box 30, and the inner surface and the like can be easily washed. That is, cleaning of the inside of the casing 40 and the transfer pipe 50 becomes much easier than in the case where the casing is fixedly maintained against the ground (floor surface of a factory or the like) even after disassembly. In addition, FIG. 4 shows a state when the supply device 1 is disassembled.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4, after separating the casing 40 and the carrier pipe 50 from the gear box 30, the operator accesses the root portion of the screw 60 and rotates the screw shaft 61 in the circumferential direction with respect to the first shaft 31. By doing so, the screw 60 is removed from the gear box 30. As a result, the operator can grip the screw 60 by itself, and thus it becomes easy to wash every corner of the screw 60.

<1-6. Detailed structure of the base>
The detailed configuration of the base unit 10 will be described below. The base portion 10 has an upper surface portion 10a and a pair of left and right side surface portions 10b. The front side and the rear side of the base portion 10 are open. A space surrounded by the upper surface portion 10a and the pair of left and right side surface portions 10b of the base portion 10 is a cavity.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the base portion. The upper surface portion 10a of the base portion 10 has a substantially rectangular plate shape. As shown in FIG. 6, an opening 10c is provided on the upper surface 10a. The opening 10c penetrates the upper surface 10a in the vertical direction. The opening 10c has a rectangular shape and is open on the rear side. The lower portion of the casing 40 and the internal space of the base portion 10 communicate with each other through the opening 10c.

The first side 10d, which is the side opposite to the open side of the opening 10c, is located in front of the seal members 35 and 36 described above. In other words, the lower parts of the seal members 35 and 36 communicate with the internal space of the base portion 10. Below the opening 10c, a drawer unit 11 is provided so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction (conveyance direction). The drawer unit 11 can receive the granular material that has fallen from above the opening 10c. On the rear end surface of the drawer part 11, a grip part 11a that can be gripped by an operator is provided. With this structure, the operator can pull out and remove the drawer unit 11 by operating the gripping unit 11a, and regularly or irregularly remove the powder or granular material accumulated inside.

In the supply device 1 having such a configuration, when the operator separates the carrier pipe 50 and the casing 40 from the gear box 30 and the screw 60 in order to clean the inside, the screw 60 is hidden in the first through hole 40e. It is conceivable that the powder particles attached to the surface of the screw 60 or the like immediately before cleaning may drop downward due to its own weight due to the impact of the application. In the supply device 1 of the present embodiment, even in such a case, there is little possibility that the powder particles that have fallen are deposited on the edge of the opening 10c.

As described above, the supply device 1 of the present embodiment includes the carrier pipe 50, the screw 60, the gear box 30, the power source 20 (driving unit), the casing 40, and the base unit 10. Then, the transport pipe 50 and the casing 40 can be integrated and separated from the gear box 30 and the screw 60 along the transport direction (see FIG. 4 ). In addition, an opening 10c that communicates the internal space of the base 10 and the internal space of the casing 40 is provided in the upper portion of the base 10 (see FIG. 6). Therefore, the operator can easily access the screw 60 to perform maintenance by moving the carrier pipe 50 and the casing 40 together and moving them away from the gear box 30 and the screw 60 in the carrying direction. In addition, by setting a container or the like having an open upper portion below the opening 10c of the base portion 10, the powder and granules remaining on the surface of the screw 60 immediately before maintenance are scattered to the outside of the feeder 1. It is possible to reduce the risk of doing so. As a result, the user-friendly supply device 1 that can easily perform maintenance such as cleaning is realized.

In addition, in the supply device 1 of the present embodiment, a drawer unit 11 that can be pulled out in the transport direction is provided below the opening 10c of the base unit 10. As a result, the powder or granular material remaining on the surface of the screw 60 immediately before the maintenance falls into the drawer unit 11. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the time and effort required for cleaning due to scattering of the granular material to the outside of the supply device 1.

Further, in the supply device 1 of the present embodiment, the gear box 30 is fixedly provided on the base portion 10. As a result, the gear box 30 is immovable with respect to the base portion 10, so that the operation of moving the transport pipe 50 and the casing 40 away from the gear box 30 in the transport direction is facilitated.

In addition, in the supply device 1 of the present embodiment, the casing 40 is coupled to the gear box 30 by the one-touch type attachment/detachment members 45 and 46 (see FIG. 1 ). This makes it easier to separate the carrier pipe 50 and the casing 40 from the gear box 30 and the screw 60. Therefore, maintenance can be performed more easily.

Further, in the supply device 1 of the present embodiment, the positioning pin 39 is provided on the rear end surface (driving portion side mating surface) 30c of the gear box 30, and the positioning pin 39 is provided on the front end surface (casing side mating surface) 40a of the casing 40. Is provided as a fitting portion corresponding to. As a result, when the carrier pipe 50 and the casing 40 are moved away from the gear box 30 for maintenance or the like, and when the carrier pipe 50 and the casing 40 are reassembled, the center axis of the carrier pipe 50 and the power shaft of the screw 60 are misaligned. It is possible to reduce the risk of occurrence. As a result, it is possible to continue operating the supply device 1 with high accuracy even after repeated maintenance.

In addition, in the supply device 1 of the present embodiment, the opening 10c of the base 10 is open on the downstream side in the transport direction (see FIG. 6). As a result, it is less likely that the powder or granular material remaining on the surface of the screw 60 or the like immediately before the maintenance will be accumulated on the upper surface of the base portion 10 (in particular, the edge portion of the opening 10c) and remain in the supply device 1. Can be suppressed. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the possibility that powdery or granular material residue is generated during maintenance such as cleaning.

The supply device 1 of the present embodiment further includes a stirring member 70 detachably attached to a second shaft (stirring power shaft) 32 extending from the gear box 30 to the downstream side in the transport direction. Accordingly, when performing maintenance such as cleaning, the stirring member 70 is removed from the second shaft 32 as a pretreatment, so that the transport pipe 50 and the casing 40 are integrally separated from the gear box 30 and the screw 60 in the transport direction. It becomes easy to move to. As a result, maintenance such as cleaning can be performed more easily.

Further, the supply device 1 of the present embodiment includes the discharge blade 63. Therefore, the discharge blade 63 imparts resistance to the powder or granular material conveyed by the rotation of the screw 60, so that the bulk density of the powder or granular material in the vicinity of the downstream end of the transfer pipe 50 is made uniform. It Further, the discharge blade 63 prevents the powder and granules from accidentally spilling and cuts out while dispersing the powder and granules, so that the powder and granules are discharged to the outside of the supply device 1 while suppressing pulsation.

In addition, the supply device 1 of the present embodiment includes a weighing unit 90. Thereby, it becomes easy to quantitatively supply the granular material to the subsequent device.

Further, in the supply device 1 of the present embodiment, the front end surface (casing side mating surface) 40a of the casing 40 is provided with the first through hole (through hole) 40e through which the screw 60 can pass in the transport direction. Be done. Accordingly, the casing 40 and the transport pipe 50 can be integrally separated from the gear box 30 while the screw 60 is still fastened to the first shaft 31 of the gear box 30.

A first seal member (seal member) 35 is provided on the rear end face (driving unit side mating face) 30c of the gear box 30 along the entire outer circumference of the first through hole 40e in the radial direction. As a result, it is possible to prevent the powder or granules from spilling out of the supply device 1 from the joint between the screw 60 and the gear box 30.

Further, below the seal members 35 and 36, the opening portion 10c of the base portion 10 is arranged. As a result, even if the powder or granule spills downward from the joint between the screw 60 and the first shaft 31 or the joint between the stirring member 70 and the second shaft 32, the powder or granules The body is guided into the internal space of the base portion 10. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the accumulation of powder or granular material in the gear box 30. As a result, the supply device 1 can be easily cleaned.

<2. Modification>
Although the exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments.

In the above-described embodiment, the torque generated by the power source 20 is transmitted to the screw 60 and the stirring member 70 by the meshing of the gears 33 and 34, but the invention is not limited to this. Alternatively, the torque generated by the power source 20 may be transmitted to the screw 60 and the stirring member 70 via a sprocket and a chain, or to the screw 60 and the stirring member 70 via a belt and a pulley. It may be transmitted. Alternatively, the power source 20 may individually include a motor for rotating the screw 60 and a motor for rotating the stirring member 70.

In the above-described embodiment, the drawer unit 11 is provided below the opening 10c of the base unit 10, but instead of this, the hopper may be set below the opening 10c. Then, when the granular material accumulates to some extent in the hopper, it may be returned to the tank for storing the untreated granular material, and the granular material accumulated in the hopper may be reused.

In the above embodiment, the screw 60 includes the screw shaft 61 and the flight 62, but the shape of the screw is not limited to this. Instead of the above, the screw may be, for example, a coil type screw without a screw shaft. Alternatively, a coil type screw having a shaft only at the downstream end in the transport direction may be used.

In the above-described embodiment, the opening 10c of the base 10 is open on the downstream side in the transport direction, but the present invention is not limited to this. Instead of the above, the downstream side of the opening 10c in the transport direction may be closed by an edge.

Although the stirring member 70 is fastened to the rear end portion of the second shaft 32 in the above embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this. Instead of the above, the stirring member 70 may be attached to the rear end portion of the second shaft by a magnet. However, from the viewpoint of facilitating cleaning, it is preferable that the stirring member be easily attached to and detached from the second shaft.

A guide member or a rail member may be provided on the upper portion of the base portion 10 so that the casing 40 and the transport pipe 50 can be integrally moved away from the gear box 30 and the screw 60 in the transport direction more easily. ..

In the above embodiment, the positioning pin is provided on the drive-side mating surface, and the hole corresponding to the positioning pin is provided on the casing-side mating surface. However, instead of this, positioning is performed on the casing-side mating surface. A pin may be provided, and a hole corresponding to the positioning pin may be provided on the mating surface on the drive unit side.

Further, the number of positioning pins is not limited to the above two, and may be one or three or more. Furthermore, the combination of the positioning portion and the fitting portion is not limited to the combination of the positioning pin and the hole. It may be of the formula. Further, the position may be fixed by aligning the protrusion and the recess provided on the outer periphery of both surfaces or one surface, and various methods can be used.

Although the weighing unit 90 is provided in the internal space of the base unit 10 in the above embodiment, the weighing unit may be provided in a subsequent device instead of this. In that case, the measuring unit may detect the increase amount of the powder or granular material stored in the subsequent device (that is, the supply amount of the powder or granular material from the supply device). Further, the weighing unit 90 may be omitted. In that case, the supply device 1 is used as a so-called capacity-type supply device that performs supply control on the basis of capacity based on the number of rotations of the screw, rather than a method of controlling supply of powder and granular material on a weight basis.

In the above embodiment, the casing 40 is connected to the gear box 30 by the attachment/detachment members 45 and 46 that can be attached and detached with one touch. However, instead of this, the casing 40 and the gear box are attached. 30 may be fastened by using a knurled screw or the like that can be manually tightened. Alternatively, the casing 40 and the gear box 30 may be connected by a known clamp or clasp such as a sanitary clamp or a snap lock.

In the above embodiment, the seal members 35 and 36 are mounted on the drive-side mating surface, but instead of this, the seal members 35 and 36 may be mounted on the casing-side mating surface. Further, in the above-described embodiment, the seal members 35 and 36 are so-called O-rings having an annular shape, but the present invention is not limited to this. Instead of the above, the seal member may be sponge packing, pillar packing, or the like.

Further, the detailed configuration and layout of each unit may be different from those shown in the drawings of the present application. Further, the respective elements appearing in the above-described embodiments and modifications may be appropriately combined within a range where no contradiction occurs.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 supply apparatus 10 base part 10a upper surface part 10b side surface part 10c opening part 10d first side 11 drawer part 11a gripping part 20 power source (driving part)
20a Upper surface part 30 Gear box (drive part)
30a front end face 30b side face 30c rear end face 30d upper end face 31 first shaft 32 second shaft 33 first gear 34 second gear 35 first seal member 36 second seal member 37 first seal groove 38 second seal groove 39 positioning pin 40 casing 40a front end face 40b side face 40c rear end face 40e first through hole 40f second through hole 40g third through hole 45 detachable member 46 detachable member 50 transport pipe 51 first space 52 second space 60 screw 61 screw shaft 62 flight 63 Discharge blade 70 Stirring member 71 Shaft part 72 Stirring blade 73 Arm part 80 Hopper 81 Side wall 82 Material input port 83 Material feeding port 84 Attachment/detachment member 90 Measuring part

Claims (11)

A supply device for supplying a granular material to a subsequent device,
A substantially cylindrical transfer tube extending along the transfer direction of the granular material,
A screw arranged along the central axis of the carrier pipe,
A drive unit that is coupled to the screw and supplies torque to the screw;
A casing interposed between the carrier pipe and the drive unit, which accommodates a part of the screw, is opened on the lower side, and supplies the powder or granular material accommodated inside to the screw,
A base portion that supports the drive portion and the casing from below,
Equipped with
The transfer pipe and the casing can be separated from the drive unit and the screw along the transfer direction,
The supply device, wherein an opening is provided in an upper portion of the base portion. The supply device according to claim 1, wherein
A supply device in which a drawer unit that can be pulled out is provided below the opening of the base unit. The supply device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein
The supply unit in which the drive unit is fixedly provided to the base unit. The supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The supply device, wherein the casing is coupled to the drive unit by a detachable member that can be attached and detached with one touch. The supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
A positioning portion extending in the transport direction is provided on either one of the driving portion side mating surface facing the casing of the driving portion and the casing side mating surface facing the driving portion of the casing,
A supply device in which a fitting portion corresponding to the positioning portion is provided on either the other of the drive portion side mating surface and the casing side mating surface. The supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The opening is open on the downstream side in the transport direction. The supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
Attached to a stirring power shaft extending from the drive unit to the downstream side in the transport direction, and further comprising a stirring member housed in the casing,
The said stirring member is a supply apparatus which can be attached or detached with respect to the said stirring power shaft. The supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
A plurality of pipes are arranged radially inward of the downstream end of the transport pipe in the transport direction, are driven around the power shaft of the screw as a rotation center, and are inclined with respect to a plane perpendicular to the power shaft of the screw. A supply device comprising a discharge vane having a face. The supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 8,
The feeding device further comprising a weighing unit that weighs the weight of the powder or granular material discharged from the feeding device. The supply device according to claim 5, wherein the casing side mating surface is provided with a through hole that allows the screw to pass in the transport direction. The supply device according to claim 10, wherein
The supply device, wherein a seal member is provided on the drive-side mating surface or the casing-side mating surface along the entire outer circumference of the through hole in the radial direction.

Images